Tapping Into Post-Lockdown Vibrancy....

Finally, on a sunny July Sunday, I emerged from the hermitage, to make a first post lockdown sortie to the pub....well ok not quite a pub....a brewery tap.

At the Vibrant Forest Brewery Tap, it was nice to see that there was a good turnout and a regular flow of people arriving, during the time I was there between 1:30 and 3pm.  The usual spectrum of humankind was present from the guy who could have come straight from the Tour De Yorkshire in full logo'ed lycra, to families with kids, and crinklies like me.

The tap indoor area isn't open because of Covid precautions (except to get to the toilet) and the main roller shutter door entrance is being used as a giant serving hatch with a bar made of temporary tables.

It doesn't really matter being outdoors on a day like this, and the Vibrant Forest's beer garden is huge, comprising the concrete forecourt of the five industrial units occupied by the brewery.  Tables at 2m spacing not an issue here, and there are enough to accommodate 130 people in covid security (bring raincoat and umbrella if rain expected).

Sanitizer was on tap on the tables and was crisp, sharp, clean and cool and bursting with alcohol (and would undoubtedly give Doom beer a run for its money if it wasn't for hand cleaning only).

Anyhow - fear not - there's no need to be a prophet of Doom today.  Behind those grey monolithic walls vibrant beers are being born...and as usual there was a great selection on offer today..

First up...a half of Summerlands, super-citrus hopped IPA in a modest 3.5% alcohol package...bursting with taste, cooling and refreshing. The Americans might call it a 'lawnmower beer' (- or is that the Australians)....

...there was no lawn - or lawnmower - but it was just as welcome on a hot day on a giant concrete forecourt reflecting the sun's heat like a desert. Only the camels and scuttling scorpions were missing...

...though by way of consolation a plague of flying ants were scuttling across the table most of the afternoon.

The cool halves were slipping down well in the heat and, after a half of Aira (4.5%) a citra/mosaic/HBC431 triple hop pale ale , I then went for a half of Misty Woods (6%)., which is a hazy American IPA.  It's an interesting name for a 'Vibrant Forest' beer, but was actually brewed here in collaboration with Clapton Craft.  A casual perusal of the glass above shows a proper half pint...no short measures here...

The gentle buzz of conversation and flying ants drifted across the vast concrete expanses as chewy, murky, hoptastic beers were sipped from stemmed glasses...

A stack of large wall cladding panels and the ubiquitous builders skip suggested that something was afoot at the Vibrant Forest.  The bar man explained that an enlarged chiller room was being built in one of their units and the brewery's own canning line was being installed in another.  No shortage of post-pandemic optimism at Vibrant Forest Brewery....

...and the builders merchants next door will probably come in handy for the work....

Two hours quickly slipped by, and so a final beer then...this time a half of Grizzly Pear (4.3%) a gooseberry and pear gose.  A big blast of pear drops and ear ringing sherbet.   Lovely....

It's great to see the Vibrant Forest Brewery Tap open again and as vibrant as ever (did I mention how vibrant their beers really are...?).  From what I saw at this visit the faithful followers of craft are out in force to support them...
I grabbed my (un-needed) emergency pandemic decontamination man bag (in urban camo design) and went home feeling...well....VIBRANT!